The top cross-member of a cooling unit or of an equipment front face is generally installed in such a manner as to present a hard point when subjected to an impact against the head or the hip of a pedestrian.
Such rigidity makes such a top cross-member dangerous for pedestrians in the event of an impact against the head or the hip since no energy-absorbing stroke is available. On the contrary, the cross-member is dimensioned to withstand a force of up to 3000 newtons (N) over the entire width of the vehicle. Thus, the cross-member contributes directly to ensuring that the structure of the vehicle is rigid.